WildThings is an urban fauna translocation program in the Australian state of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

developed by

Ku-ring-gai Council Ku-ring-gai Council is a local government area in Northern Sydney ( Upper North Shore), in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area is named after the Guringai Aboriginal people who were thought to be the traditional owners of the area. ...

in 2004 to protect, promote and proliferate wildlife in the Ku-ring-gai local government area.

Program background

It was noticed in

Ku-ring-gai Kuringgai (also spelled Ku-ring-gai, Kuring-gai, Guringai, Kuriggai) (,) is an ethnonym referring to (a) an hypothesis regarding an aggregation of Indigenous Australian peoples occupying the territory between the southern borders of the Gamilar ...

that while bush regenerators intended to preserve habitat and wildlife, in practice some Bushcare Groups were responsible for the wholesale removal of weeds which often lessened the biodiversity value of the ecosystem that the volunteers were trying to protect. In

, where Ku-ring-gai is located, the state government has many regulations that effectively deny people the opportunity to have native animals for pets. On their web page they have detailed their objections. In an attempt to create positive relationships between people and wildlife, the program WildThings was created; however due to the restrictive legislative environment around mammals, the program has concentrated on invertebrates, fish and reptiles.

Initiatives

There are two main components to WildThings:main components
/ref> * The placement of Trigona carbonaria hives. This program places native bee hives on residential properties, assisting with pollination while increasing awareness of this insect. As of 2011, over 200 hives have been distributed. * The conversion of unwanted swimming pools into ponds. Baby boomers, in particular, have pools that are no longer being used. Studies conducted by the University of Western Sydney, on a random selection of converted ponds, showed they promote invertebrate biodiversity and their water quality is suitable for recreational use. An added bonus is that a converted pool is essentially a rainwater tank without a lid, making large amounts of water available for a variety of activities around the home, saving potable water, electricity and eliminating the need for chemicals.

References

{{Reflist Nature conservation in Australia Ecological restoration Environment of New South Wales